Spectacular title fights: Review of the World Cycling Championships in Glasgow

World Cycling Championships in Glasgow

It was an experiment, an intervention in the global calendar, a bold gamble. In the end, however, it was a festival of cycling that will live long in the memory. The "biggest
cycling event ever", as the UCI dubbed the project, brought 13 world championships to Glasgow and the surrounding area of the Scottish city. 653 medals went to successful participants and around 8,000 athletes were in action. BMX, cycle ball, track cycling - over eleven days, these World Championships provided a showcase for (almost) everything that can be done on a bike. It was the first "Super World Championships". From now on, such world championships in XXL format will take place every four years. However, this world championship was also a step backwards, namely to an old schedule: until 1995, the road and track titles were held in August, or at the latest at the beginning of September.

For the spectators in the streets of Glasgow and on the television screens, this timing was a blessing. Because the competitions at the road cycling events burned themselves into the memory. The sporting prowess of the best of the best was much greater than usual so soon after the Tour de France, when the World Cycling Championships are on the calendar in the autumn. This was true for the women, who experienced another highlight in Scotland after the Vuelta, Giro and Tour, as well as for the men, whose top riders built on the form of their three weeks in France.

Classic terrain in the west of Scotland

On the steep hills and many bends in Glasgow, it was the Belgian Lotte Kopecky who ennobled a strong season. The winner of the Tour of Flanders had already worn the yellow jersey in the Tour de France Femmes, from the first day to the brutal approach to the Tourmalet. Consequently, she was also one of the favourites in Scotland, especially as the course suited her noticeably. On the final lap, she managed a powerful attack that put Demi Vollering at a distance. Vollering, normally Kopecky's team colleague at SD Worx, had won the women's tour shortly before. But here, on the classic-like terrain in the west of Scotland, the Flemish rider was superior. "It's just crazy for me to become world champion three times in seven days," said Kopecky. She had also made perfect use of the World Cycling Championships on the wooden track. She had already made headlines in her home country with victories in the points race and the elimination race. "Belgium is a great road cycling country, but we still had a gap to fill in women's cycling," she said after winning her third title.

More than one million spectators came to watch the decisions of the various cycling disciplines - a great success for UCI President David Lappartient. "These world championships have taken our sport to new heights," said the official, who is in favour of modernising the many disciplines. The idea caught on, never before had so many people tuned in to the cycling championships on television. The integrative approach of the World Cycling Championships was convincing. At the start, for example, viewers saw images of the Paralympic cyclists at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Glasgow's cycling track. The Paralympic athletes' decisions were firmly anchored in the same programme as the Olympic disciplines. "We have the same value as the Olympic athletes. We were integrated," said Maike Hausberger, who won gold twice and bronze three times. This made her Germany's most successful cyclist at these World Championships.

World Cycling Championships in Glasgow: Attractive for activists

The appeal of one competition in particular also attracted political activists. The group "This is Rigged" paralysed the men's road race near the town of Falkirk. The demonstrators used the opportunity to protest against the extraction of fossil fuels off the Scottish coast - an action in the context of a controversial sponsorship deal with the British Cycling Union. While most of the athletes waited for three quarters of an hour at their team cars and refreshed themselves, some of the local residents were visited. Mathieu van der Poel also took the opportunity for a toilet break. Just as well, because in the decisive phase he showed himself without ballast in a race that will be remembered for a long time to come. The peloton had already shrunk drastically 100 kilometres before the finale, with only 51 starters reaching the finish. Van der Poel put so much pressure on the leaders that no-one was able to follow him. He thus won another world championship duel against rival Wout van Aert. The Belgian crossed the finish line 1:37 minutes after van der Poel.

Van der Poel crashes 17 kilometres before the finish

Van der Poel's crash 17 kilometres before the finish remains particularly memorable. In a right-hand bend, he crashed so unfortunately that the fastener and pedal plate on his right shoe were damaged. But even with damaged equipment, the Dutchman still managed to finish the race. "In my opinion, this almost completes my career, for me it is perhaps the greatest race on the road," said van der Poel afterwards. Less than a week later, he crashed again. This ended his hunt for another medal in the mountain bike cross country race.

Interview with Antonia Niedermaier

I still feel insecure

Tim Farin spoke to the newly crowned U23 time trial world champion. Read her answers in the interview here.

TOUR: Your world championship title was considered "surprising" - how surprised were you yourself?

Antonia Niedermaier: Very. I didn't feel good the whole day. In the first half of the race I thought: That's not going to happen. And then it got better again.

TOUR: What has changed as a result of the World Championship title?

Antonia Niedermaier: Not much really. Sure, it's an honour to be able to wear this jersey. Sure, it's a great result. The media have taken a bit of notice, the people around me are super proud. But it doesn't give me the right to rest on my laurels. I have to keep working hard and I still have a lot of room for improvement.

TOUR: You are a career changer. How far behind the "old hands" in road cycling are you?

Antonia Niedermaier: Quite big. I find it extremely difficult to ride so close to others in a group. I sometimes feel insecure or uncomfortable. But that gets better from race to race. I can't read races quite as well as the older riders either. But I'm learning and I'm part of a good team, where they really help me with constructive criticism and praise.

TOUR: You gave a demonstration of your potential at the Giro. Does that already point you in the direction of a future Tour winner?

Antonia Niedermaier: The Giro was a highlight, and I didn't expect to win a stage. I think I'm more of a cyclist. I'm good at time trialling and riding uphill. And that suits me too, because I always need a bit of time to get into races.

Track World Championships: the hosts cheer in the oval

UK Cycling celebrates many successes at the Track World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. But the German women also impress once again.

Five gold medals, three silver and one bronze - for the hosts from Great Britain, the track cycling competitions at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow were exactly what they had been aiming for for years. The competitions had started with a huge disappointment for the host nation. The four-man team pursuit team crashed out of the event on the very first day. But a veritable flood of medals followed, which was also reflected in the paracycling competitions. British athletes also picked up six gold medals in the title fights for people with disabilities, making Great Britain the most successful nation among the participants in the 2023 Super World Championships.

For the German track cyclists, the result at the World Championships was somewhat worse than hoped for. In the women's sprint final, Lea Sophie Friedrich missed out on the world title after two narrow defeats to Emma Finucane from Great Britain. However, this remained a minor disappointment, as the German women in particular once again delivered a strong performance for the German Cycling Federation. With gold and a world record in the team sprint and in the 500 metre time trial for Emma Hinze, the squad was very successful. The German team even won 15 medals among the para-cyclists. This earned them fifth place in the national rankings.